Natural 'Beauty'

Not only have I become super conscious about what I eat, but I have also become slightly obsessed about my exposure to everyday toxins and chemicals. From cleaning aids to beauty products - I am all about weaning myself off of the few remaining chemical laden products I use in my home and on my body! The way I see it - there are so many things (environmental factors) that are beyond our control - but what we choose to eat or clean our homes with or use on our skin are things we absolutely can control - so why shouldn't we be conscientious about the choices we make there? Aside from being better for the environment (reason alone to switch from chemical to natural) - products free of harmful additives are also better for us and aren't we worth it?

Because skin care products in particular (as all girls know) are generally quite an expensive investment... I decided to do a little research and product testing - and would encourage any of you to do the same before making a purchase (or switching brands). You can do this quite easily (as I did) simply by writing an email to any of the companies whose products you are interested in and requesting tiny samples.
I'm sorry, but in my (not so humble) opinion, any company worth their weight... any company who stands behind their product 100% that is not just feeding you some bullshit marketing scheme, should be more than happy to not only take the time to respond to your inquiry, but being a potential customer, they should also be more than willing to share a few samples with you as well. Some of you may have beauty regimens that are tried and true and which you don't wish to change. If it's working for you, stick with it! I happen to be a bit of a product whore and I love to try new things, so any excuse... : ) But I am also just appalled at the amount of harsh chemicals and other bad-for-you ingredients typically found in most skin care products and have become increasingly interested in making sure the products I use fall into the more natural and holistic categories - and I definitely seek out products that are not derived from or tested on animals.
I contacted 14 companies who to my knowledge fit this description - ranging from small, lesser known companies, to larger companies with a huge and well known presence within the beauty industry. It's been almost a week and so far I have heard back from 6 of these companies - and as I suspected would be the case - it was all of the smaller companies who responded immediately!

Over the course of the next couple of weeks - as the samples arrive, I'll be posting my reviews here. If any of you have had your own personal experiences with any of the companies mentioned - I'd love to hear about it! Or.. if there is another company whose products you've used and either loved or hated - I want to hear those stories as well.
Here is a list of the companies I contacted:

Dr. Hauschka
Juara Skin Care
Jurlique
Red Flower Organics
Origins
Pur~lisse
Fresh Skin Care
Sundari
Caudalie
REN Skin Care
Skyn Iceland
Sk-II
Amore Pacific
Korner Skin Care

I've already recieved some of the samples in the mail which is enough to make me smile in and of itself -  it's like xmas in April! I am so excited to try these products that it just may result in some fun giveaways ladies...
Tomorrow I'll be posting about Dr. Hauschka so stay tuned!!!